Publisher: THQ

Rating:

Ages: eight and up.

Family Rating:

Parental Advisory:
Law-breaking theme

Violence Rating:

We don't like video games with endless, senseless and mindless killing. And in the same vein, we don't care for games that encourage youngsters to perform virtual vandalism. While THQ's Jet Grind Radio is an entertaining game that appeals to kids, its objective, which involves spraying graffiti and defacing property, makes the title a questionable one. The game was a significant one on the old Dreamcast console. Resurrected on the Game Boy Advance, the title remains much the same.

Armed with overdrive magnetic-motor skates and spray paints, kids become skaters who are involved in turf wars and trying to paint the town in their colors while avoiding cops and rival gang members. While most skating games ask kids to perform tricks to gain points, Jet Grind Radio asks them to spread graffiti before the police or military personnel can catch them. In this game, tricks are clearly secondary.

The game lets kids race around and jump onto objects to paint various objects and walls. While kids get to perform tricks, the controls aren't as precise or accommodating as those in typical skate or board video games. Also, in this game, grinding is a given-it's simply the means to get around on the many railings and other objects. The game features rival characters who may eventually join a player's gang. And kids can create their own custom graffiti tag.

The graphics are colorful and generally good. Beyond single, mission-based play, the title offers one-on-one races, freestyle skating for points and timed tagging sessions. And up to four may participate in these activities in fun multi-player games.

As it was on the Dreamcast, Jet Grind Radio is an entertaining game. But its theme of painting the town is a questionable one for the kids. There are other games on the market that are just as fun and don't encourage kids to vicariously break the law.

9/2/03 www.daytrum.com Editorial Staff

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